🔗 Share this article Messages Reveal Jeffrey Epstein and former Trump strategist Ties Bannon was one of the former president's key strategists before stepping down from the White House in 2017 In late 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly Donald Trump's chief strategist, was in the UK preparing for a speech at the prestigious Oxford Union. The event was interrupted by hundreds of protesters, and Bannon, who was due to travel that night, informed Jeffrey Epstein in an message: "Activists slowed down my talk don't think I can catch the flight we are heading to the airport". Epstein responded: "That. Is a Gulf Air that leaves at 950 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon answered: "U r an excellent helper". These messages were published on Wednesday together with more than 20,000 pages from the estate of Epstein, the deceased convicted sex offender. The disclosure by the Congressional committee contains an text conversation where Bannon's identity is redacted. The BBC managed to confirm his identity by matching the dates, occurrences, and locations referenced. For instance, Epstein discusses chartering a jet from the UK for the redacted user in the messages, and commends their "address at Oxford". Bannon participated in the News Xchange conference on 14 November, and gave the speech at the Oxford two days later. Bannon, who faces no allegations of any wrongdoing, declined to comment on the request for comment. 'I'll make sure you're well looked after' Bannon served as the president's closest aides in the lead-up to the presidential election and in the early days of his first administration, but stepped down from the administration in August 2017. He has admitted he was producing a film about Epstein before his death and reportedly has approximately 15 hours of recordings. In a live taping of his show recently, he said: "We plan to release the series, the multi-part documentary, next year - at the start of next year." But the newly released documents suggest Bannon's relationship with Epstein went further than being his biographer, with the disgraced financier at times seeming to act like a personal assistant. A few days before the conversation in which Epstein appeared to have arranged a private plane for Bannon, Epstein said: "what's it like to have the most highly paid travel agent in history ". Bannon expressed gratitude: "U r quite capable assistant", to which Epstein responded "Massages. Excluded". Discussing a trip to "Abu Dhabi" in another message, Epstein assured Bannon: "I'll make sure you're well looked after." British Affairs Discussed in Messages The published messages also reveal Bannon and Epstein discussing UK politics in that year. On the day of his speech at the Oxford Union, Bannon texted Epstein: "I became involved in the EU exit issue this morning with Nigel, Boris and Rees Mogg." Then, in what seems like a reference to the UK prime minister, the embattled UK prime minister at the time, he added: "The guys are trying to proceed. may soon…" Epstein advised Bannon: "In my view staying as much as you can uk. Ideal- so people get the dedication of your follow-up." Soon after, Epstein inquired: "Will Theresa may remain in power". Bannon answered: "I don't see how BUT the guys here have little courage" and noted "Johnson ; Gove; Rees Mogg; Davis - someone has to take charge". May was finally toppled in May 2019 after surviving two votes of lack of support in December 2018. A spokesman for the political party informed media: "Farage has never been in a meeting with Bannon, Jacob Rees Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is nothing to suggest such a meeting occurred. The US House of Representatives will vote soon on whether the Department of Justice should release all its records concerning its probe into Epstein, who passed away in jail in 2019. Attention in Epstein's relationships with powerful figures was renewed recently after the release of more than 20,000 pages from his archives. A portion of those referenced the former president, who has repeatedly denied any impropriety. The leader was a acquaintance of Epstein's for a long time, but claims they fell out in the 2000s, two years before Epstein was first arrested.